Steam-dredge.



PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906 G. E. TURNER.

STEAM DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAILZQ, 1905.

2 SHEETS-3% annex W014 No. 812,245. PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906. G. EVTURNER.

STEAM DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-.20, 1905.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 219i human 4 C? mmmmm Q4, 4 0; 9; M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. TURNER, OF BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BELLEFONTAINE FOUNDRY & MACHINE COMPANY, OF BELLE FONTAINE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STEAM-DREDGE.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed March 20, 1905. Serial No. 251,179.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellefontaine, in the county of Logan and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Dredges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dredging apparatus, and more particularly to a grip or clutch for controlling the dipper-handle and adapted to be operated by steam or compressed air. It has been usual to control the dipper in such structures by means of racks on the dipper-handles, which engage pinions on the shipper-shaft, and by use of break devices on the shipper-shaft; but great difliculty has been experienced through excessive wear and the liability of the parts to breakage.

The object of the invention is to provide a pivotal connection for the dipperhandle with the boom and a grip for adjustably securing said dipper-handle to its pivotal connection and provide means whereby the grip will be under the immediate control of the operator in a distant part of the structure.

Further object is to provide means for operating said grip by the use of steam, compressed air, or liquid.

Further object is to so simplify the construction, as well as the means and mode of operation of such devices, as to render them more efficient in operation and less likely to get out of repair.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the structure, combination of parts, or their equivalents hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

Figure 1 represents the forward portion of the steam shovel or dredge, having an improved grip indicated thereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the grip, the dipper-handle being removed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the grip. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the operating-lever.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A represents the forward portion of the car, having an A-frame A thereon, and the boom B, supported by said A-frame and located upon the usual turntable B.

O represents the dipper, having the usual dipper-handles O, adapted to be engaged by a clutch hereinafter described, the turn-table being indicated by B.

Referring to Fig. 2, a represents a shaft having suitable hearings on the boom B and corresponding to the usual shipper-shaft. Secured to the shaft a is a main-frame member of the clutch a, which is cruciform in shape and has secured to one end thereof the cylinder a There are also located on the shaft a and on the oppposite sides of the mainframe member a bearing members a upon which the members of the dipper-handle rest, the dipper-handle being preferably formed of two I-beams, having strips of wood secured thereto, as shown in Fig. 3.

Intermediate the main-frame member a and the bearing members a are located pendent links a for the purpose hereinafter described.

Extending vertically through the mainframe member a are longitudinally-movable rods 1). Secured to said rods 1) and above the frame member a is a plate 1), adapted to bear upon the upper side .of the dipper-handle members.

Secured to the rods 1) below the main-frame member a, is a yoke 6 having therein a bearing for the shaft 0, intermediate and formed integral with the duplicate members 0 c, which constitute the operating-lever. The structure formed by the shaft 0 and the members c is provided with the external trunnions 0 which are fulcrumed in the links a} (L The trunnions c are somewhat offset in their relations with the shaft 0, as shown in Fi 4. 1

Secured to the outer ends of the lever members c are links 0 which at the upper ends are pivotally secured to the piston-rod c of the cylinder a In order that the steam-supply to the de- Vice may not be varied through the various movements of the dipper, the steam is introduced through a central opening 01 of the shaft a, thence through the lateral opening in the main frame a to the pipe at, by which it is conducted to the cylinder a The supply of steam or compressed air may be controlled by an ordinary slide valve, such as indicated at E, Fig. 1. This controlling-valve may be located either on the boom or in any convenient part of the car.

It is obvious that the parts most subject to wear will be the plate I) and the bearing members of. The plate I) may be adjusted 'to compensate for such wear by means of'the nuts 12 or b on the rods b, and-further, the bearing members a being'the outmost parts located on the shaft 0 may be easily replaced without the dismantling of the entire structure.

In operation the grip is released and the dipper hoisted, which will cause the dipperhandle to slide rearward through the grip. When steam is admitted to the cylinder a forcing the piston c upward, this in turn op erating through the lever members 0, which are fulcrumed in the links a a will force the rods 5 downward through the connection of said lever members a with the yoke 71 by means of the intermediate shaft 0 and will cause the dipper-handle to be gripped between the plate b and the bearing members (1?. While in this position the hoisting apparatus will be released and the dipper allowed to swing to substantially vertical position through an arc of small radius, when the grip will be again released and the dipper drop to its work substantially under the end of the boom. Under ordinary circumstances when the dipper is in the ditch and being filled its weight alone is sufficient to feed it into the work. However, if necessary,'the grip may be applied to hold the dipper down and prevent its rising as it is forced into the material. After the dipper is worked downward and, forward and commences to rise with its load of material the grip is still maintained upon the handle and prevents the handles sliding back through the boom until the load has been dumped, when the grip is re leased in order that the dipper may move rearward and be again dropped to its work without interfering with the bank. It will be seen that there is thus provided a device by which the dipper is under the immediate control of the operator at a distant part of the structure and one which is adapt- ,ed to retard or arrest the movement of the dipper-handle at any given point and in which the wear may be readily compensated for and worn or broken parts replaced without the necessity of replacing the entire structure.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim' 1. In a dredge, the combination with a dipper, and a'handle therefor having straight parallel edges, of a grip for said dipper-bandle comprising a shaft having bearings in the boom, bearing members on said shaft on which said dipper-handle restsga plate above said dipper-handle, and cooperating with said bearing members to clamp said dipper-handle, and means for moving said plate in relation to said bearing-blocks, substantially as specified.

2. In a dredge, the combination with a dipper, and a handle therefor, of a grip for said dipper handle comprising a shaft, a mainframe member on said shaft,'bearing members on said shaft, longitudinally-movable members extending through said main-frame member, a plate secured to said longitudinally-mova'ble members and adapted to engage the upper side of the dipper-handle, a yoke connecting saidlongitudinally-movable members, and an operating-lever adapted to move said longitudinally-movable members to cause the dip er-handle tobe clamped between the said earing members and plate, substantially as specified.

- 3. In a dredge, the combinationwith a dipper, and a handle therefor, of a gri for said dipper -handle comprising a sha t having bearings in the boom, a main-frame member secured to said shaft, bearing members also on said shaft, longitudinally-movable members located in saidmain-frame member, a plate secured to said longitudinally-movable members and adapted to operate with the bearing members to clamp the dipper-handle; a yoke connecting the lower extremities of-said longitudinally-movable members, an operating member engaging with said 'yoke,-a cylinder secured to said main-frame member and having a piston within'said cylinder, a connection between the piston-rod of said piston and the operating-lever, whereby'the dipper-handle w1ll be clamped by said plate and bearing members by the operation of the piston within the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified. e p

4. In a dredge, the combination with a dipper, and a handle'therefor, of a grip for said handle, comprising a shaft havingbearings in the boom, a main-frame membermount'ed on said shaft, longitudinally-movable members extending through said main-frame member, a plate secured to said longitudinally-movable members, and adapted to engagethe upper side of the dipper-handle, bearing members supported on said shaft adapted to engagethe lower side of the dipper-handle, a yoke connecting'the lower extremities of said longitudinally-movable members, pendent links on said shaft forming a fulcrum for an operating-lever adapted to engage saidyoke, --a cylinder having aipiston'therein secured to the main-frame member, a connection between said piston and the operating-lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a dredge, the combination with a dipper and a handle therefor, asupport, ast'a- IIC tionary clutch member supported thereby, bearing members formed on said support on which said dipper-handle rests, a movable clutch member above said dipper-handle cooperating with said stationary clutch member to clamp said dipper-handle, an oscillating member, connections between said oscillating member and said movable clutch member, substantially as specified.

6. In a dredge, the combination with a dipper and a handle therefor, a support having bearings in the boom, a stationary clutch member formed on said support, a longitudinally-movable member, a movable clutch member secured to said longitudinally-movable member, an oscillating sleeve, a yoke connected to said sleeve, and also connected to said longitudinally-movable member, and connections between said piston and said oscillating sleeve, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of March, A. D. 1905.

GEORGE E. TURNER. Witnesses:

R. F. TREMAIN, FREDERICK W. FELBAUM. 

